Methods and apparatus for expressing body fluid from an incision

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EP 2 160 981 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	04.08.2010 Bulletin 2010/31

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	10.03.2010 Bulletin 2010/10

(21)	Application number: 09176754.1

(22)	Date of filing: 16.05.1997

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International Patent Classification (IPC):

A61B 17/32^(2006.01)

A61B 5/151^(2006.01)

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE CH DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

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Priority:

17.05.1996 US 17133 P
14.06.1996 US 19918 P
01.08.1996 US 23658 P
03.09.1996 US 25340 P
16.09.1996 US 92121 P
17.09.1996 US 710456
08.10.1996 US 727074

(62)	Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
	97927654.0 / 0955914

(71)	Applicant: Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.
	Indianapolis, Indiana 46250 (US)

(72)	Inventors:
	Douglas, Joel S Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 (US) Roe, Jeffrey N San Ramon, CA 94583 (US) Grage, Henry M Danville, CA 94506 (US)

(74)	Representative: Heunemann, Dieter
	Vossius & Partner Siebertstrasse 4 81675 München 81675 München (DE)

(54)	Methods and apparatus for expressing body fluid from an incision

(57) A sample of a body fluid such as blood or interstitial fluid is obtained from a body by glancing a portion of a user's skin, preferably in an area other than a finger tip to form an incision. After the needle (42) has been removed from the incision, a force is applied to depress the skin in a manner forming a ring of depressed body tissue in surrounding relationship to the incision, causing the incision to bulge and the sides of the incision to open, whereby body fluid is forced out through the opening of the incision. A stimulator member (64) is mounted to an end of a lancet carrying housing (40) for applying the force. The stimulator member (64) can be movable relative to the housing, and can be either heated or vibrated to promote movement of the body fluid

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